(Dubois County, IN) - A La Porte native has been honored by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Jon Watkins is a conservation officer for the Department of Natural Resources in southern Indiana. Watkins, who hails from La Porte, has been named the District 7 Officer of the Year and Indiana’s Boating Officer of the Year several times.

Recently, he was presented with a Coast Guard certificate of merit at the Area Maritime Security Committee meeting in Spencer County. The award recognizes Watkins’ years of exemplary service and dedication to protecting Indiana’s waterways. “The superior performance, attention to detail and initiative displayed are wholeheartedly commended and are in keeping with the noblest traditions of inter-agency cooperation and maritime safety and security on and along our nation’s inland waterways,” reads a portion of the certificate presented to Watkins.